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Photos by Kitkat Pajaro

It was the stuff straight out of a drama. Me, a writer, standing across a K-Drama star, with him looking at me with that signature eye smile I’d grown used to from watching all those compilation videos. Cue slow motion, chimes, and heart bokeh close-up shots.

Thankfully, I managed to keep up a short conversation (read: not faint) with Kim Ji Soo — known to fans as Ji Soo a.k.a the beloved second lead of dramas like Strong Woman Do Bong Soon and Scarlet Heart Ryeo — for a little while before his Manila fanmeet, and lived to tell the tale.

Bad guy: K-Drama star Ji Soo was modest, and actually kind of shy.

You’d think a K-idol would possess a commanding aura, but he was way chill. He was modest, and actually kind of shy, saying that he didn’t think he had a lot of Filipino fans (stan tweet comment: we love ourselves a soft). He spoke slowly, with accentuated pauses during both the press con and our interview, giving off a brooding idol persona that made me love him even more.

Ji Soo’s tough guy transformation for Bad Guys: City of Evil, where he played a prisoner,wasn’t too shabby either. Sporting a shorter cut than the one we saw in his flower boy fanmeet poster, he explained how the role was very different from what he was used to, as it involved a lot of action training. He also prepared by consulting a lot with the director and his other actor sunbaenims.

When I asked him about traveling in the Philippines (this was his second time in the country), he said he’d like to visit other places, since he’s mostly been around Quezon City.

Secondhand serenade: The Strong Woman Do Bong Soon star went into the crowd twice, first to sing, and second to hand out roses.

I learned a couple of other dating app-worthy facts about him too. For one, he’d rather be having an intimate rooftop dinner with someone he can connect with on Valentine’s Day. As for confessing to a girl, he says he wouldn’t want to surprise her, and instead drop subtle hints beforehand. Swoon.

My time with him was short, but the next day’s fan meet at the SM North EDSA Sky Dome made up for that. I mean, it was just like going on a first date. A date that I’d have to share with over 1,500 other screaming fangirls, but still a date.

My One & Only Ji Soo was fan service central, and I was happy to share the kilig overload with all the fans who attended (especially the two girls in the wedding dress and Hanbok — you guys are the real MVPs).

We got married: One Ji Soo fan came wearing full-on bridal attire.

He went into the crowd twice, first to sing, and second to hand out roses (I reached out to take one, but he handed it to the person next to me. Story of my life). All the love was thrown back in the form of hearts. So. Many. Hearts. A heart wave. Multiple finger hearts. Heart-shaped headbands. Each time, I looked around to see people swooning, tapping their seatmates and pinching themselves.

By the time the fanmeet ended and the hi-touch started, I was exhausted. I may not have spent my pre-Valentine’s in the conventional way, but there was so much love and kilig to go around that by the time I left, I was all loved out. Next Valentine’s better top that (Min Yoongi, take notes).

Special thanks to CDM Entertainment. The event was supported by Globe at Home Prepaid Wifi, Jac Motors, and Novotel.